Cleaning & Maintenance

How to Safely Power Wash Your Roof

Roof cleaning is a common task for homeowners to do on a regular basis. A clean roof increases the appearance of your home while also preventing the need for costly repairs down the road. Whether your roof is old or new, it should be professionally cleaned on a regular basis to remove dirt, grime, algae and other organic growths from its surface.

How to Power Wash Your Roof – Safely

A high-pressure power washer is a great way to clean your roof quickly and efficiently. But this process can cause damage if the equipment is not used properly or the pressure is not regulated. Additionally, the nozzle of your power washer needs to be sized correctly so that it doesn’t release any spray that can damage your roofing material.

When using a power washer, always use the side-to-side sweeping motion to get through all of your roof’s surface areas. This is the best way to ensure that no part of your roof gets missed or damaged while you’re washing it.

If you’re using a power washer for your roof, never use it to spray water under the shingles as this can tear off the shingles and cause water to leak into your home. You can also damage the bonding or adhesive between your roof materials if you apply water directly to them.

You can also damage the underlying fabric of your tile, slate or cement roof by spraying water under them. This can break down the bonds and loosen the glue that holds your tiles together.

Soft Washing Your Roof – Safely

Many homeowners prefer to use a soft wash system when they want to clean their roofs because it is gentler on the roof and its materials than a traditional power washing technique. It also allows you to spray only specific areas of your roof that need cleaning, which can reduce the amount of detergent used and save you money.

The process involves applying a special mild surfactant or detergent to the underside of your roof, which then seeps deep into the cracks and crevices that form on your roof. This enables the surfactant to dissolve accumulated mud, dirt, and soot from underneath your roof’s materials.

A professional soft washing company will only use the safest, approved surfactants and detergents to clean your roof. These cleaning chemicals are designed to safely and effectively remove black, green and red algae, lichen, moss, bacteria, dirt and other bio-degradable growths from your roof’s surface.

Using a soft washing service can increase your home’s curb appeal while preventing rotting of your roof and other health problems associated with mold. Unlike traditional power washing, the low-pressure pump spray of this method doesn’t compromise your roof’s structural integrity and can even be a good choice for older or brittle roof tiles.

Can You DIY Roof Power Wash?

Despite popular belief, it is not recommended that you attempt to power wash your roof yourself. There are a number of risks involved in this type of project that can only be mitigated by the best DMV power washing company.